House of Assembly Fifty-Second Parliament, First Session (52-1) 52 1 Parliament of South Australia House of Assembly published Question Time Adelaide Oval ADELAIDE OVAL The Hon. I.F. EVANS House of Assembly Davenport ADELAIDE OVAL The Hon. I.F. EVANS (Davenport) (15:08): My question is to Treasurer. Why will the state provide a $30 million commercial loan to SACA if the Adelaide Oval project does not proceed? SACA chairman Ian McLachlan stated on radio on 2 June this year: If the deal does not go ahead with the SANFL our 25 year budgets show the debt can be handled just as we have handled the $65 million of capital expenditure we have spent over the past 20 years or so. The Hon. K.O. FOLEY House of Assembly Port Adelaide Deputy Premier Minister for Federal/State Relations Minister for Defence Industries ADELAIDE OVAL The Hon. K.O. FOLEY (Port Adelaide—Deputy Premier, Treasurer, Minister for Federal/State Relations, Minister for Defence Industries) (15:08): For the completeness of the exercise I will take that question on notice and come back to the house tomorrow with a detailed answer. I have referred to that loan previously in the house. In conclusion to the earlier question—to show that I am not avoiding the question; I just do not wish to be shouted at as I am trying to give an answer on an important matter—my mistake was that, when I rose in this house on 25 May, I think, and made the statement that I did, at that point I had forgotten about that meeting with Mr Whicker. I should not have, but I did. The Hon. I.F. Evans House of Assembly The Hon. I.F. Evans: You remembered it for the whole election. The Hon. K.O. FOLEY House of Assembly The Hon. K.O. FOLEY: I stood in this place some three months after— Members interjecting: The Speaker House of Assembly The SPEAKER: Order! There has been a question asked. The Hon. K.O. FOLEY House of Assembly The Hon. K.O. FOLEY: Some three months after that meeting and when I was on my feet in full flight I did not recall that meeting. That is the honest truth. When my office, my staff and I, were addressing the issues raised by the member for Davenport and the leader, they were questions, from memory, relating to meetings that occurred in March. We went back and confirmed those meetings in March and records of those meetings, which were the basis of the ministerial statement the following day. The error was compounded because we did not look and we did not recall the February meeting which was diarised. When it was brought to my attention on the Thursday evening that that meeting had occurred, I immediately realised I had made a substantial error and I moved as quickly as practicable and made the matter known publicly that I had, and I advised the house in this place at the earliest opportunity, consistent with the Westminster system.